Jim Junkie
Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
I quite like my Ion K-Pacts for the normal ride arounds, and they don't bother me in SEQ heat. Stay (generally) where they should and have stopped the bones in my knees doubling in quantity pretty effectively.
The only advice I'd have for pads & other protection though is that if you're buying it, wear it. Every time. I initially had this thing of I'd only wear it if I was intending to go hard. Without fail my I'd manage to crash on my easy days, probably because I wasn't concentrating as much either. Got a few sets of stitches & scars to attribute to that mistake. That and you wouldn't want to miss out on the mystery of whether or not that finger is dislocated by looking at it through a glove.
Don't stress on the bike straight away. I rode a budget HT for years before upgrading to a (second hand) dually. It was 4 bikes in before I finally had the funds & desire to build a new bike. Riding is fun no matter what you ride, so long as you look after it and keep it running. Or get a Banshee, that works too.
Welcome!
The only advice I'd have for pads & other protection though is that if you're buying it, wear it. Every time. I initially had this thing of I'd only wear it if I was intending to go hard. Without fail my I'd manage to crash on my easy days, probably because I wasn't concentrating as much either. Got a few sets of stitches & scars to attribute to that mistake. That and you wouldn't want to miss out on the mystery of whether or not that finger is dislocated by looking at it through a glove.
Don't stress on the bike straight away. I rode a budget HT for years before upgrading to a (second hand) dually. It was 4 bikes in before I finally had the funds & desire to build a new bike. Riding is fun no matter what you ride, so long as you look after it and keep it running. Or get a Banshee, that works too.
Welcome!